whitby

Whitby must be the fish and chips capital of the world. They do it well, but I must say I don't need to eat fish and chips again for a long time. Three meals in three days in enough. But I found being by the ocean very comfortable for me. Boats, water, marinas are familiar, and I enjoyed the relatively small scale of Whitby. We were there for a weekend, so there was some vacationing crowds. In fact, one special event was the 60's weekend where there were bands playing songs from Herman Hermits, Union Gap and others. I didn't hear the music but our B and B was filled with 60's people who happened to be in their 60's. The weather also brought people out. We experience a dramatic shift from 25c on Friday to 15c on Saturday. They say that Friday, the day we arrived, was the warmest day of the year and certainly it was summer-like. People, kids mostly, were on the beach and in the water (wearing wet suits). The wind was steady and not warm, but it was comfortable in the sun. It showed one side of being on the coast. The next day, Sunday, showed the other side, as the temperature suddenly dropped and the fog rolled in. It has blowing hard and raw all day long. It was a cold front from the North and, given Whitby's location, nothing to block it's path. I walked along the beach at low tide, and the surf was roaring. Still there were sailboats plying their way.

Whitby is known for it's connection to Dracula. The author, Bram Stoker, used incidents and locales from Whitby to craft the original story. We learned all about this on an evening tour that was quite entertaining. I want to read the book now.

Also part of our visit was an optional walk to Robin Hoods Bay. This cliff walk is about 7 miles long and is known in the guide books as one of the top hikes in England. It didn't disappoint. Many operatic views of cliffs on one side and grazing sheep on the other. One student and I stuck together while two students ran the whole way. One student even ran back - quite a feat. This was out last day in Whitby and the weather returned to what we have mostly experienced: cool, mixed sun and clouds, no rain. (They say it has been unusually dry this spring. I have used my umbrella only once this trip.) I had thought to try to walk back, but found one way tiring enough so we took the bus back.


We have now arrived in London, and I feel disoriented. It's so large and busy, but only the first day. We arrived without incident and after unpacking had a group meal at an Indian restaurant. We have had a group meal at each stop, and these have been one of the highlights of this trip. These are nice times for all of us to be together. It's informal, and I have gotten to know each of the students better in these settings.